Slat-holder.



P. H. STEDMAN.

SLAT HOLDER.

APPLlCATION HLED AUG-27, 1913.

1 1%,5'K, Patented June 22, 1915.

PE 6' Zaaimafiz.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOm-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

PASCAL I-I. STEDMAN, or nnwroar, RHODE ISLAND.

spar-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1215.

Application filed August 2?, 1913. Serial No. 786,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PASCAL H. STEDMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slat-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in slat holders for window blinds, the object of my invention being to provide a resilient clamping device adapted for permanent attachment to the body of the blind and arranged to yieldably grip the vertical rod connecting the swingingly mounted slats of the blind in such a manner as to hold the rod against all movement and, consequently, maintain the slats at any desired angle.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a slat holder of the above described character which will be positioned about the slat rod when first applied to the blind and which need never be released therefrom, the slats being adjusted at any time to' any de sired angle by reciprocating the rod in the usual manner, the rod during such reciprocation sliding through the clamping device, the binding action of which is sufficient to hold the rod against movement from wind and rain beating against the slats, but not sufficiently to prevent manual manipulation thereof.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the clamping device that it will not only hold the slat rod against reciprocatory movement, but also against swinging movement, thereby not only preventing all rattling of the slats but all beating from side to side of the slat rod. And a still further object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective securing plate for fastening the clamping device to the blind so constructed and so attached to the clamping device proper that but a single screw is needed to fasten the entire device to the blind and to hold the same against all movement.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed outin the claims which are attached hereto and form a part of this application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the inside of a conventional form of blind showing my slat holder in use; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view showing the slat rod moved to position to open the slats. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the slat holder.

In order to insure a clear understanding of my invention and its application, I have illustrated my improved slat holder in use upon a blind, 10, of conventional type including a frame having spaced side members 11 and 12, upper and lower members 13 and 14 and an intermediate transverse member 15. The spaces between the various frame members are filled in by a plurality of transversely extending spaced slats 16 of the usual type. In the specific form of blind illustrated, the slats 16 between the upper frame member and the intermediate member are rigidly fixed at any desired angle to the horizontal, while the slats 16 in the lower part of the blind are provided at their ends with trunnions 17 seating in bores formed in the inner edges of the side members 11 and 12 of the frame for swinging movement. These latter slats 16 are swingingly connected by interengaging eye-fasteners 18 to a vertical slat rod 19 by means of which the slats may be simultaneously swung at any desired angle to the horizontal.

My invention, as previously set forth, consists in a resilient clamp or fastener which may be secured to the frame of the blind and which will yieldably grip this slat rod 19 to hold the same against either vertical or swinging movement. The fastener, the construction of which is best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, includes a spring wire gripping member, indicated as a whole by the numeral 20, substantially U-shaped in configuration having arms 21 and 22 of equal length diverging from each other slightly toward their free ends and terminating in laterally directed, pointed prongs 23. These arms 21 and 22 are provided each with a spring coil 24in slightly spaced relation to the prongs 23, and a securing plate 25 is mounted upon these arms between the coils and prongs. This plate 25 consists of a substantially rectangular shaped piece of sheet'metal having its end portions bent about the arms 21 and 22 of the body member 20 of the fastener.

This plate is so proportioned that its free ends are slightly spaced from each other at the rear and further so proportioned as to bear by its edges against the prongs and against the spring coils 24. The plate is pressed about the arms 21 and 22 in such a manner that the rear face of the plate formed by the inturned end portions is level throughout its extent, while the forward or said bight portion also sprung inwardly to form spring loops 28, the purpose of which engaged overcome. the blind, the tendency of the sprlng coils will be later explained, although it may be noted at this point that the divergingof the arms 21 and 22 is due to the formation of these spring loops. The said arms 21 and 22 immediately above the spring loops are sprung rearwardly and inwardly to provide oppositely disposed, rearwardly directed gripping portions or shoulders 29 for engagement against the rear opposite side portions of the slat rod.

In use, the above described fastener is secured to one of the frame members of the blind in alinement with the slat rod which it is to fasten by driving the prongs 23 into the frame of the blind to secure the device against swinging movement and by passing a screw 30 through the opening 26 of the securing plate 25 to further secure the fastener from displacement. By this means, the fastener is held not only against swinging movement, but against outward movement and all likelihood of its becoming dis- When so attached to 24: is to hold the free end or bight portion of the gripping member in engagement with the slat rod 19. The fastener is applied to the slat rod by forcing the same against the slat rod in such a manner as to spread the gripping portions 29 and seat'them one upon either side of the slat rod. As the inner ends of these gripping portions are inclined toward each other, it will be seen that said gripping portions not .only engage against the side of the slat rod, but to a certain extent against the rear face thereof and, therefore,'assist the spring coils 2a in holding the fastener in engagement with the slat rod. The spring loops 28 tend to force the gripping portions 29 toward each other and, therefore, hold the same in close engagement with the slat rod in such a manner that the instruck portion 27 of the bight of the fastenler bears against the outer face of the slat ro The U-shaped body portion or gripping member is preferably constructed from a single length of resilient wire and this wire should be as light as possible consistent with the assurance of suflieient gripping action. In other words, the device, while intended to hold the slat rod against movement under ordinary strains, is not intended to hold it against manual movement. It will be apparent that reciprocation of the slat rod 19, such as is necessary to angularly adjust the slats connected thereto, is prevented only by the clamping of the rod between the gripping portions 29 and the rod may, therefore, be manually reciprocated by the application of very little more force than is necessary with blinds not employing my fastener. At this point, it should be noted that the movement of the slat rod during adjustment of the slats is not only vertical, but that the said rod also moves away from the blind. The spring coils 24 not only hold the fastener in engagement with the slat rod 19, but insure such engagement irrespective of the movement of the slat rod toward or away from the blind. For this reason, the fastener need never be disengaged from the slat rod to permit adjustment of the slats, although it may be readily disengaged therefrom in case the slat rod should be come broken, necessitating its removal.

It will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details of construction, illustrated in the drawing and described in the above specification, as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

Vhat'l claim is 1. A slat holder for window blinds formed from a single length of resilient wire bent to form a substantially U-shaped body memher, the wire adjacent its free ends being bent to provide spring coils, the bight portion of the body member being instruck toward its free end to provide spring loops spaced a distance greater than the thickness of the slat rod which the body member is to engage, the side portions of the body member adjacent these loops being laterally bent and also bent toward each other to provide oppositely disposed co-acting gripping members spaced a distance less than the thickness of the slat rod which they are to engage, thereby forming a reduced throat in alinement with the instruck bight portion, the bending of the side members to form these gripping members leaving the instruck bight portion substantially in the plane with the remaining portions of the body member, and means for securing the free ends of the body member to a blind.

2. A slat holder for window blinds formed from a single length of resilient wire bent intermediate its ends to provide spaced arms joined by a substantially straight connecting portion terminating in spring loops arranged in substantially the same plane with said arms, the arms adjacent said loops being'bent downwardly and inwardly to provide converging portions and thence upwardly and outwardly to provide intersect- In testimony whereof I affix my signature ing angularly disposed diverging portions, in presence of two witnesses. said portions, at their intersections, providing gripping shoulders normally held in PASCAL STEDMAN' close relation to each other by said loops, Witnesses:

and means for securing the free ends of the EDWARD A. BATES,

arms to a blind. WILLIAM J. THoMAs.

mm of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. 0. 

